Donohoe rejects IFAC criticism, Uniphar’s Nordic plans, and why the truth hurts

The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has rejected claims from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council that his spending forecasts "lack credibility" and that he is using unsustainable corporation tax receipts to plug holes in the health budget.

Following its successful stock market flotation this week, Joe Brennan reports that Irish healthcare services company Uniphar has big plans for Nordic expansion. He also reports on a bonus scheme that entitles 37 top staff to as much as 4.9 per cent of its total shares at the end of 2022.

Has the national minimum wage done its job? In his column this week, John FitzGerald says that while new research shows it has certainly helped tackle low pay, the same cannot be said for combating poverty.

Builders are slowing the rate at which they finish new homes as high prices put off potential buyers, according to a new report. The number of new homes built in Dublin tumbled 17 per cent in the last three months.

Donohoe rejects Ifac criticism of spending plans

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Minimum wage a tool for equality but no panacea for poverty

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Dublin Economics Workshop to feature Robert Watt

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Economy could be overheating by end of the year, says think tank

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Britain's EasyJet said it would hire Peter Bellew as its chief operating officer from Ryanair, as the budget airline said quarterly trading had been in line with expectations.

Ireland needs to invest in specialist waste management facilities if it wants to attract more foreign investment, a global pharmaceuticals chief has said. Christophe Weber, who is boss of Japan's largest drug company Takeda, visited the company's new facility in west Dublin this week and sat down with Dominic Coyle for our interview of the week. He explains how its Irish operation is crucial to the pharma giant's global growth plans.

In this week's Agenda, Joe Brennan assesses what the spin-off of Ardagh's food and speciality metal cans business means for the Irish corporate giant.

Meanwhile, in the World of Work, Olive Keogh explains how telling the truth can often seriously hurt your career – just ask Britain's top ranking diplomat, Sir Kim Darroch.

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